One GenXer’s take on stuff

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Boomerang 3

No. That’s not a new Eddie Murphy flick. Although, Hollywood is in a remake/sequel mood these day.

NOTE TO SELF: crank out screen play this weekend n find way to bribe/blackmail Eddy Murphy

In actuality (not to be confused with reality), I’m speaking of my impending move back in with my parents. Yeah, you heard me right. I’m moving back in with the rents. Should be … an experience.

The first time I boomeranged back to my parents house was after I undergrad. I was about 25, which is the pretty standard age for doing that. Even so, I knew it was temporary. I was heading to graduate school in a year. I was just taking some time off to make some cash and try to write. I did make a little bit of money, working at B. Dalton’s in the mall. As for writing, well, I made some notes for a novel but didn’t make much progress beyond that. Still, I had a good time hanging out at bars where alum from my high school liked to congregate, and isn’t that what you’re really supposed to do in your 20s. I like to think so. In any case, that’s my rationalization and I’m sticking to it.

The second time I moved back into my parents house was after 3 years of graduate school and a couple more years of living in Kalamazoo and working as adjunct faculty a the university. I was about 31 then. And I just needed a place to hold up until I could figure out what I was going to do, how I was going to make money while I wrote the great American novel. Before that, though, I helped my folks do some fixing up of the house — painting, new carpet, remodeling the kitchen. Then I got me a job, made some green. I had a baby. Got married. Tried to write, but still without much success, unless you count filling up pages with words documents on a computer. <sigh>

Now, here I am about a decade later, getting a divorce. And getting ready to move back into my parents’ place. Again. At the age of 42. Ugh! Hard to escape feeling pathetic at this point. Of course, my purpose is to try and save as much money as possible before moving out on my own again. I want a financial cushion. Also, like a lot of people in this country, and particularly in the state of Michigan, I’m worried about my job. Budget issues have put it in jeopardy. I need to see how things are going to shake out in the next 4 months. Even if I survive that cutoff, a year from then I’ll be in the same position with the chance that I’ll lose my job even more likely, very likely in fact. I’m operating as if I’ll be unemployed in 4 months or a 1 year and 4 months. Either way, it’s going to happen. And then what?

Two choices, really:

1) Job search, which I’ve already begun, in a very preliminary way.

2) Back to school, which I’m also looking into. I could bolster my writing skills by getting some Technical Writing courses under my belt, perhaps even a graduate certificate. That’s something else I need to be saving my money for. Because it may be necessary to work only part-time while attending classes.

In any case, moving back in with the rents is less than ideal. And of course, I’d really like to have my own place. It won’t be easy. But I think it’s the best course of action right now.

And based on things I’ve read and heard, I’m not the only person exercising this option. I guess I should be grateful that I have it. What if I didn’t? What if I had no choice? Some people don’t. What happens to them?